Your First Day at the New Job

Your First Day at the New Job

You got a call, gave an interview, negotiate salary, got an offer, accepted it and finally got the job that may truly take your career forward. Congratulations!

The day to join the new company has arrived, while you are exited you may have some anxieties too. It is normal to have such mixed feelings on the first day. But remember, there is nothing you need to prove on day one and no one expects you to be productive on day one. In fact, most companies only have an welcome and induction planned for new joinees on their first day.

Here are some tips to help you sail through the first day at new job and make it memorable.

Arrive early

Being disciplined leaves a great impression. Arrive a little early than the official hours on your first day. If you haven’t done the commute on this route, do it a couple of times on the rush hour of the week to understand the route and assess the travel time. Plan to arrive atleast 15 mins early so you have enough time to complete the entry formalities at the building.

Dress Appropriately

Dressing appropriately is highly specific from company to company. This completely depends on your job profile and the requirement of your organization. Some company prefers their employees to be in professional formals, some allow smart casuals and some have their own uniforms. It is recommended to ask your HR / Recruiter to advise you with the dress code of the company. If you still have a doubt, lean on a side of wearing professional formals and you can always discover the dress code once your first day at work.

Things to carry

It is recommended to carry only your basic necessities at work on first day. Do not carry things to decorate your desk, you have no idea what will their workstation arrangements might be. Carry a note pad and a pen, that should be enough to take notes. It is also recommended to ask your HR Manager if they expect you to carry anything specific. Sometimes they may need copies of some of your certificate and documents to file in record. It is always good to carry clean copies of such documents well secured in a folder.

Ask questions

It is always better to prepare some basic questions about the company and the job you need to do. Make a list of all such questions you may have. Its quite possible that they will take you through an induction and an orientation program, where much of your questions will be answered. But if not, do not hesitate to ask your manager / HR about your doubts. Bring up your questions as they seem appropriate. When you start your work, be open to ask questions and seek help from your co-workers. No one expects you to know everything on first day, so leave your fears aside and just ask. Its better to know the appropriate ways than to make mistakes.

Meet the team

On your first day, take advantage of every opportunity to connect with people. Meet the team who will be your closest co-workers. Meet the boss you will report to. Know the other departments and key people in those departments. The most invaluable insight on ways of working you can get in the beginning is from interacting with the members of every department.

Remember Names

You are likely to be meeting a lot of people on your first day. Remembering all of their names can become a really tricky and difficult task. While no one expects you to remember all the names on first day, knowing this skill can be really helpful in impressing individuals. Try focussing on their name when they introduce themselves, repeat it once with them and a few times inside your head. Once you have done meeting, jot down their name, some identification (eg. Guy with the red tie in Accounts Dept) and some notes about them in your notepad. Study this a few times and it will really help in remembering people you met during your early days.

Be open to talk to people

Talk to as many people as possible. If you establish that you are friendly and approachable, it will help you establish trust with them. Accept the lunch invitations you may receive on your first day. It is the best possible opportunity to converse on a casual setting. You will learn a lot about the people you are going to work with and may get an insight on how the office works. Be prepared to introduce yourself. Prepare an introduction covering who you are, where did you work before. Most of them would like to know about your previous place of employment. Remember have a great and friendly interaction and make friends. But be careful, if the conversation turns towards office gossip or office politics, avoid engaging.

Listen more

On your first day ate work, spend maximum time in listening rather than talking. If you are asked a question do speak, do participate in conversation where you have a reasonable contribution to make, but otherwise, listen more and understand more during the first day at work.

While the first day at the new job is very important, don’t be stressed to leave the perfect impression. Don’t worry if you are not able to make a perfect impression. Just be yourself, be nice to people and do the best you can. Relax and keep your mind open. Know more people and know your work. These things will help you make a positive impression eventually.

When your day ends and you have left office, spend 15mins by yourself to introspect your first day. There is always tomorrow to make things better, so improvise on day two.